Pittsburgh Firsts

19th Century

1845 - World's first wire cable suspension aqueduct bridge was built in Pittsburgh over the Allegheny River at 11th Street.

1850s - On Seventh Avenue in Pittsburgh Samuel Kier established the Western Hemispheres first successful petroleum refinery.

1863 - William Bullock, of Pittsburgh, received a patent for the first printing press to use roll paper.

1869 - Pittsburghs George Westinghouse demonstrated the first practical air brake for railroads.

1881 - The first national convention of The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was held in Pittsburgh.

1885 - Long distance transmission of electricity became possible because Pittsburgh's Westinghouse Electric developed alternating current.

1888 - The Pittsburgh Reduction Company was responsible for the world's first production of commercial aluminum.

1889 - The first Carnegie Library in the USA was dedicated on March 30, 1889.

1893 - The first Ferris Wheel was the star of World's Fair. George Ferris, a bridge builder from Pittsburgh, designed and built the world's first Ferris Wheel.

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20th Century

1903 - The Pittsburgh Pirates played in the First World Series.

1905 - The Nickelodeon The World's First theater devoted to motion pictures open on Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh.

1909 - Forbes Field, the Country's first Baseball stadium opened in  Pittsburgh.

1913 - The Nation's First gas station opened in Pittsburgh. It was built by Gulf Refining Company.

1918 - Daylight Savings Time came to Pittsburgh. This was the nation's first daylight savings time.

In the 1920s Bingo was born in Pittsburgh.

1920 - Commercial Radio Station A Pittsburgh First
Pittsburgh's KDKA was the first commercial radio station in the United
States.

1920 - KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh became the first commercially licensed radio station to broadcast presidential election returns.  Harding Cox

1921 - KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh becomes first radio station to broadcast a church service.

1926 - Construction began in Pittsburgh on the world's first university skyscraper. (The Cathedral of Learning)

1953 - Pittsburghs Alcoa Building - The first all-aluminum skyscraper.

1953 - First Polio Vaccine. Dr. Jonas Salk, a researcher/professor at the University of Pittsburgh, developed the polio vaccine.

1954 - Public Television - A Pittsburgh First
The first community-sponsored educational television station in the USA WQED.

1957 - The world's first full-scale atomic-powered plant for production of electricity was opened a few miles away from Pittsburgh in Shippingport, PA.

1961 - Pittsburghs Civic Arena with its world famous Retractable Dome first opened to the public.

1962 - World's first Pull - Tabs on cans
Pittsburgh's Alcoa developed pull-tabs for cans.  These pull-tabs were first used by Pittsburgh's Iron City Brewery.

1967 - The First Big Mac was created in Uniontown, PA and test marketed in 3 Pittsburgh area McDonald Restaurants.  It didn't take long for the Big Mac to become a hit at McDonalds everywhere.

1971 - Children's Hospital Poison Center created the Mr. Yuk sticker.

1971 - First World Series Night Game. Before the 4th game of the 1971 world series games were always a daytime event.

1979 - Carnegie Mellon University started the first Robotic Institute in Pittsburgh.

1982 - Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist, Scott Fahlman, created the Smiley emoticon :-)

1989 - Presbyterian-University Hospital was the site of the world's first     simultaneous heart, liver and kidney transplant.

21st Century

2009 - Steelers are first team to win 6 Super Bowls

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